Don't Miss

First Time Is A Charm- Tanner Ward Wins At Walton Raceway

We all remember our first time doing something really cool, our first trip on an airplane, our first time driving, the first time doing anything is always memorable. Now, pretend you’re a young pro motocross rider doing everything they possibly can to get not only their first moto win, but also their first overall win. Well, heading into Round 3 of the 2020 Rockstar Energy Triple Crown MXTour Series, you could say this about a number of our young riders. In the 250 class for instance, prior to the start of the opening moto there were only three past winners on the starting line. Imagine that, only three riders out of 40 have crossed the finish line first in previous races. That is obviously a very small number, but if you think about how difficult it is to win a national race, the number makes sense.

A lot can happen in a 30 minute national moto and if you want to win one, you need a few things to fall into place. In most cases, you need to get a good start so you don’t fall behind in the early laps. This rule obviously isn’t carved in stone as over the years many riders have won national motos after coming from behind. But a good start enables you to stay out of trouble in the early laps. The next thing a rider needs if they want to win a national moto is fitness. As I mentioned, national motos are 30 minutes long and any type of fatigue or loss of focus will allow your competition to pounce. So, in most cases you need a good start, you need to be fit, that’s a given, the final you need is a little luck and for a few things to fall your way at certain times in the moto. If any one of these items aren’t in perfect sync at the top level of our sport, then chances are you don’t win a moto.

Tanner was able to stay clean and out of trouble in the early laps of Moto 1. Photo by James Lissimore

For Tanner Ward, his opening mud moto at Round 3 started off like any other. Tanner got off to a decent start and sat in fourth in the early laps. Due to the massive rain storm in the morning the Walton Raceway track was wet, but not impassable. Tanner had this to say about how the track was in the first 250 moto, “The track was actually decent for the first half of Moto 1. They had packed it just before it began to rain so for the early part of our moto it was only sloppy but not too deep.” Even though Tanner was in fourth place, he did have a few things going for him during the first half of that moto. Not only did he turn one of the fastest lap times of the race on Lap 3, but also his two biggest rivals, Jess Pettis and Marshal Weltin, were both behind him as they didn’t get off to very good starts.

As the opening moto reached the halfway point Tanner had moved up to second and was feeling good. “As the moto went on I started to loosen up and feel pretty good. Since the opening round at Gopher Dunes I haven’t been feeling well and the heat has been really getting to me. Since Sunday was cool and wet I definitely think it helped me feel stay fresh and I was able to keep charging. When we got to halfway, I could see Surratt and I knew I could get him.” On Lap 11, that is exactly what Ward did as he made the pass for the lead. Now, with just a few laps remaining that first ever national moto win was closer than it had even been for Tanner Ward. “Once I got into the lead, I knew that if I could just put in a couple of solid laps I could hold on. By that time the track was a mess and the lappers were everywhere. When my mechanic told me that I had a 30 second lead I relaxed a little and I started to think that I was finally going to win a moto.” A few moments later Tanner crossed the finish line in first and took home is first even national moto victory.

Tanner has been getting interviewed on the Walton Raceway stage since he was a young kid. Photo by James Lissimore

After waiting his entire life to accomplish this glorious feat, Tanner only had a few minutes to let it soak in as the tight schedule demands that riders be back for Moto 2 within the hour. “I wanted to celebrate the win but I really didn’t have time. With the mud and everything there was just so much work to do between motos. All I had time for was a few high fives and then I started to think about the second moto. I think it was probably good to not have a lot of time to think about things. It kept me focused and ready to go and do what I could to get the overall win.”

When the gate dropped for Moto 2, Tanner found himself inside the Top 5. This time both Pettis and Weltin were in front of him as they were looking to make up for their lackluster opening motos. When ask if he felt different on the track in Moto 2, Tanner had this to say. “In the early laps of the second moto I did feel a lot more confident after winning the first moto. Even when I was sitting on the starting line, I felt different, like I didn’t have to wonder anymore what it would feel like to win a moto.” As the second moto went on Tanner worked his way up to third and with the way the points were working for the day, third was good enough to give him the overall if he could stay there. “During the final laps of the second moto I was trying to do the math in my head and I kind of figured that third would still get me the overall. At that point, I started to feel really good and I began to reel in Pettis for second. On the final lap, I was really close, and I tried to pass him in the final corner and ended up going down. I got up quick and still finished in third. That was good enough for my first ever overall win.”

No goggles..no problem. Tanner did he best to stay out of trouble on the challenging Walton Raceway track. Photo by James Lissimore

So that was it, on a day where the conditions would dictate that anything could happen, something very special did happen. Not only did Tanner Ward get his first ever pro national win, but he was able to do so on a track that he’s been racing at since he was a little kid, and he was able to do it with his family watching. “Obviously, it’s special to finally win a national and you can’t be too picky about where and when it happens. But to do it at Walton Raceway with my family watching is incredible. I know my brother was watching over me all day long and this win is dedicated to him. Now it’s time to enjoy this for a few days and then refocus and try and do it again in two weeks.” 

There are very few kids who deserve success more than Tanner Ward does. From Day 1, he and his family have done things the hard way when it comes to racing. Together, they’ve persevered through injuries, bike troubles, just about everything you can imagine. But they stayed with it and on Sunday Tanner was able to reward his entire family with a well earned victory. One other person who deserves a lot of credit for the success of Tanner Ward is former KTM Canada Marketing Specialist Claudie Lissimore, who ironically celebrates her birthday today. Claudie saw the potential in Tanner five years ago and made him part of the KTM Orange Brigade Team. Without that early support when Tanner was still an amateur rider, who knows where he’d be today. Now Tanner has the GDR Honda Team as his foundation and being around that group of winners has obviously given him the confidence to succeed. Tanner’s win on Sunday could be the tip of the iceberg for the likeable Woodstock, ON native. Now that he’s joined the exclusive list of riders who have won a pro national, who is to say that he’s not going to win more. When asked about that Tanner had this to say, “I just feel different now. I’m supposed to go riding tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to seeing how I feel on the bike. Right now I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. My body is starting to feel better and I hope that I can continue this at Sand Del Lee. So much of this sport is mental, now I know I can win! Hopefully, things work out again and I can get my GDR Honda back into the winner’s circle.”

On a track that he knows very well, Tanner rode flawlessly through the deep Walton mud. Photo by James Lissimore
x

Check Also

The 3 Q’s With Ryan Lockhart Presented By Matrix Concepts Canada

MXP: Hey Newf! What are your thoughts on poor Austin Forkner and his massive crash ...